Amidst rapid technological advancements and structural shifts in the economy, working people need to constantly upgrade themselves in order to remain relevant in the ever-evolving work landscape. Additionally, working people who are at greater risk of being displaced require targeted assistance to transit to future in-demand jobs – especially so for those in sectors that are poised for transformation.
At NTUC’s inaugural Future Jobs, Skills and Training Forum, attendees -ranging from Labour Movement leaders, government agencies and other tripartite partners, representatives from professional guilds and associations, management partners as well as freelancers and self-employed – echoed their support for two key solutions that are integral to help workers successfully move into future jobs.
(A) Recognising new methods of learning as part of hiring and career progression criteria
At the Forum’s Future Skills panel discussion, panellists highlighted the importance for workers to embrace bite-sized, on-the-go training as a critical way to remain relevant – whether to deepen existing competencies or to expand their skill sets. Attendees were also encouraged to utilise the Labour Movement’s ULeap app, which provides a convenient platform for workers to acquire new skills anytime and anywhere.
Event attendees also showed encouraging support for all stakeholders, especially employers, to formally recognise such new methods of learning as part of their hiring and career progression criteria. This solution will provide added assurance to working people that their upgrading efforts are being valued by employers, and motivates them to take on opportunities to move into future jobs.
(B) Leveraging NTUC’s extended networks to better tackle sector-specific challenges
With the economy changing rapidly, an all-stakeholder approach must be taken to help industries, companies and workers transform. The panel discussion on Jobs at Risk uncovered specific action plans to transit workers from current at-risk jobs to future in-demand jobs.
Most importantly, panellists agreed how deepened and better coordination between tripartite partners can help with implementing action plans. This solution should leverage NTUC’s U Associates and LM’s connection to the workers on the ground via our extended networks, to better tackle sector-specific challenges. In particular, via U Associate’s network of professional associations and guilds, the Labour Movement is able to connect with more than one professional association per sector to represent labour issues holistically and accurately, and therefore ensure targeted resources required for implementation of action plans.
Targeted approach to help working people better prepare for future jobs
The Forum kicked off the FJST department’s year-long targeted approach to more keenly identify working people in at-risk jobs, upskill and place them in in-demand jobs. As the Labour Movement’s strategic nerve centre, it will place particular focus on six critical growth sectors – Financial Services, Infocomm & Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Engineering, Wholesale Trade – and work with the rest of the Labour Movement family to identify jobs, sectors and industries affected by disruption. The methodology behind such efforts will be based on FJST’s framework for collaborative action to change mindsets toward future-skilling.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and FJST Director Patrick Tay said: “The Labour Movement, with our expanded networks and direct engagements with working people, management and tripartite partners, is well-positioned to be the best source partner for the government to bring its various programmes and industry transformation efforts to the ground. The FJST Forum is an example of a concerted effort between like-minded partners to vision the future and coordinate collaborative action between different stakeholders; and more importantly, translate that into real, tangible action plans to benefit workers. It is such collaborations that will create and sustain change – whether in the mindset of workers who are “cushioned” in their existing roles, management who are looking to take their businesses to the next stage, or industries that are looking to transform. We look forward to partner government agencies and other key stakeholders in the identified sectors to take more proactive and pre-emptive steps to help workers in this time of change.”
FJST will also review and update reports on pilot sectors, with a value add of identifying crucial skills not already identified by Industry Transformation Maps. This is crucial to deepen the impetus for working people to upskill in the face of new opportunities in the future workplace.
Through it all, FJST will continue to deepen its sector-specific analysis efforts through partnerships initiatives with the different limbs in the Labour Movement, government agencies, private sector and Institutes of Higher Learning.
More information on FJST and its inaugural forum is available at www.ntuc.org.sg/FJST.
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